Game



Nov. 20 1923. 1,475,154

A. B. FOANS GAME Filed March 14. 1922 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS' Patente' Nov. 20, 1323.

' embodying this invention.

ANDREW B. roams, or new roan, N. Y., Assrenor. r0 KENTUCKY DERBYooivrraiar INC., A CORPORATION 013 NEW YORK.

GAME.

Application filed March 14, 1922. Serial no. 543,734.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that 1, ANDREW B. FoANs, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at New York, in the county of New York and State of. New York,have invented new and useful Improvementsin Games, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a game in which a number of units such asyachts are propelled about a course in simulation of a race by theactuation of a series of hand wheels manipulated by the players.

The object of the invention is to provide a conveyer for propelling aunit about the course and automatic means brought into action by thespeed of the conveyer for disengaging the unit from the conveyer so thatit will momentarily remain stationary.

Another object of the invention is to provide nieans carried by theconveyer for rock ing the unit after it has been released from itspropelling means or while it is stationlhnother object of the inventionis to'provide devices for'throwing the hand operating means out ofaction and means actuated by the devices for bringing a motor intoaction to propel any of the stranded units about the course to thefinish line after the race is over.

The invention resides'more particularly in the novel featureshereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 represents. a plairview of a game Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section taken along the line 22 of the same.

Fig. 3 isa detail view showing the'yacht in engagement with the grippingdevice.

Fig. 4 is a detail transverse section take along the line 4+4 of Fig. 1.I I

In the drawing the numeral 5 designates a tank which is partly filled.with water to create the illusion of a boat race. The tank can bedivided into any numberof courses but for the purpose of illustrationtwo are shown with a partition 6 dividin them. The tank is supported ona frame and a passageway 8 alongside of the tank is provided for theoperator, while the players stand on a floor '9 within easy reach of acounter 10 extending upwardly from the floor.

In the tank is arranged an'endless conveyer consisting of a chain 11guided about sprockets 12 and 13 mounted to revolver pressure of thewater have a tendency to flex the spring as indicated in dotted linesreleasing the yacht or unit which remains stationary until the nextgripping device comes'into its path. Each course is in the form of anelongated O and one unit is propelled by each conveyer. The grippingmembers are sufliciently wide to engage any unit that has drifted out ofthe course or the path of the chain. The chain after it leaves thesprockets is guided on tracks'17 thus preventing it from sagging so thatthere -will beno danger of the gripping members passing under the springmember thereby missing it. In other words the shifting positions of thespring member caused by the water on the floating unit is compensated bythe depth and shape of the members. Then the unit has been released fromthe chain it is rocked by anyone of a number of cams 18 fixed atintervals to the chain;

The means fordriving the conveyer includes a vertical shaft- 19 fixed tothe sprocket 12 and having a bevel gear 20 at its lower end. Ahorizontal transmission shaft 21 with bevel. gears 22 and 23' ateach endtransmits motionto the conveyer, when a sliding clutch member 24feathered on the shaft is in engagement with the gear 22.

The. last named gear is'loosely mounted on hand wheel 25 fixed-to avertical driving shaft 26 with a bevel gear 27 at its lower 7 end isactuated by one of the players to revolve the shaft. Any number of thehand wheels can be employed andeach one independently operatesaconveyer.

a The supplemental driving mechanism for operating the conveyer when thehand wheel is out of action consists of a horizontal jack shaft 28,havinga looselymounted bevel gear 29 at one end in mesh with the bevelgear 20, and a bevel gear 30 at its other end. The gear 30 is engaged bya bevel gear 31 fixed to one end of the rotor shaft 32 and driven by amotor 33 preferably of the electric type. Any number of the conveyerscan beconnected to the motor and all the conveyers are drivensimultaneously when desired. A sliding clutch member 34 feathered on thejack shaft is adapted. to throw the motor in and out of action.

A. device for simultaneously actuating all the clutches consists of apair of forked levers 35 having roller studs to engage grooves intheclutch members as is well known. The levers are connected together bya rack member 36 the front portion of which is toothed as shown in Fig.2 to engage a pinion 37 under control of the operator. By oscillatingthe pinion it slides the clutch members on the jack and transmissionshafts to engage either, of the gears or they canbe stopped in a neutralposition without engaging any of the gears thereby throwing the handwheels and motor out of action. Any number of clutches can be used andoperated by thepinion. to either place all the hand wheels out of actionor to have the motor actuate the conveyers.

The yacht on'onecourse practically follows the chain and the division 6prevents it from drifting outside of itscourse. Each course has a bar 38swinging on a support 39 fixed in the tank. The bar is made of a singlelength of wire and it has a tail 40 whereby the bar'can be swung againstthe T side of the tank. The bar when in the position shown in Figures 1and 2 is the finish point ot' the race, but when it is swung out of theway the units are ready to start the race. The tails of the two barsshown in the drawing are linked together at 41 so that the actuation ofone will operate the other. 'VVhen the bars-are in action to stop theunits the link prevents them from swinging over by a sliding latch 42engaging a stud 48 on the link. This arrangement holds the bars rigidlyin position to stop the units,'while the conveyer isv traveling in thesame direct on and the gripplng devlces merely wipe under the springdevice on the I units.

It will be seen that the=course or courses withthe movable objectsthereon 'lie in the same horizontal plane with the operating 'means andare in front of both the operator and the players so that the playerswill view the. yachts or objects on the line of direction in whichtheobjec'ts are traveling and canalso'see the objects turn about thecourse.

It is also to be understool that I am not I limited to the constructionof the device as shown and it will be understood that the platform 8 ifdesired, may be placedat one side of the course and with suchconstruction the counter 10 would be eliminated and the hand operatingwheels 25 can be placed nearer to or connected with the structurecontaining the tank.

I claim: I

1. In a game the combination with an endless conveyer, of means formanually operating the conveyer a unit coactingat times with theconveyer, and means connecting the conveyer with the unit :Eorpropelling it about a course said means being controlled by the speed ofthe conveyer for disconnecting the unit. 7 V I 2. In a game thecombinationwith an endless conveyer, of means for manually operating theconveyer, a unit coacting at times with the conveyer, and a yieldingdevice connecting the conveyer with the unit for propelling it about acourse, said device being controlled by the speedo'f the conveyer fordisconnecting the unit.

3. In a game the combination with an endless conveyer, of means formanually operating the conveyer, a unit coactin g. at times with theconveyer, means connecting the conveyer with the unit for. propelling itabout a course, said means being controlled by the speed of the conveyerfor disconnecting the unit, and means for rocking the unit.

.for, engagement with'any one of the gripping devices controlled bythespeed of the conveyer for releasing the member from the device. V

6. In a. game the combination with a conveyer, of manual means "foroperating the conveyer, a clutch for controlling the manual means, andamotor broughtv into action by the clutch control for actuating theconveyer when the manual means is out of action.

' 7.111 a game the combination with a plurality of conveyers. of manualmeans for individually operating the conveyers, a clutch controllingeach of the manual means,

4. In a game the combination with an end and a motor brought into actionby the clutch control, for actuating the conveyers I When the manualmeans is out of action.

8. In a game the combination with an endless conveyer, of means formanually operating the conveyer, said operating means being locatedatone end of the conveyer, a unit coasting at times With the conveyer,and a yielding device connecting the conveyer with the unit forpropelling it about the course, said device being controlled by themyhand in the presence of two subscrib- 1 ing Witnesses. ANDREW B. FOANS.

Witnesses:

INEZ M. SoHoMBs,

WILLIAM MILLER.

